Funeral held for slain West Bloomfield teenager WITH VIDEO

Funeral for Jonathan Hoffman, 17 of West Bloomfield at the Ira Kaugman Chapel in Southfield. Hoffman was alledgedly shot by his grandmother on May 18th. Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Mourners show up for the funeral for Jonathan Hoffman, 17 of West Bloomfield at the Ira Kaugman Chapel in Southfield. Hoffman was allegedly shot by his grandmother on May 18th. Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

A rabbi urged mourners not to dwell on how Jonathan Hoffman died, but instead celebrate how he lived.

"Despite the fact that he died at the tender age of 17, these were enormous years of laughter and joy for everyone that knew him," Rabbi Joshua Bennett said Tuesday during Hoffman's funeral service at the Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield.

Hoffman's 74-year-old grandmother, Sandra Layne, is accused of fatally shooting her grandson multiple times Friday in the home they shared in West Bloomfield Township. Layne has been charged with open murder and a felony firearms offense.

At the funeral, family members and friends shared stories about a teenager who loved working on computers and making others laugh. An estimated 700 people attended the service.

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Hoffman's sister, Jessica, said she had a terrific brother. She said one fond memory that especially stands out is the time when she was 7 and her brother 9, and he fashioned her hair into a mullet.

Jessica said, "The bottom line is ..." and began to cry, prompting Bennett to finish reading her letter: "The bottom line is that John is the kind of big brother that every girl wishes for."

Three of Hoffman's friends spoke. One said Hoffman had the intelligence level of a genius and was great at bringing smiles to people's faces.

"No matter what situation it was, he would always make us laugh, even if we were crying or angry," the young man said.

Family friend Scott Allen read a paper Hoffman had written for school in which he described, in great detail, the hours he spent painstakingly building a computer.

Bennett said Hoffman was brilliant, even though he didn't always apply himself to his studies once he entered high school. Bennett said Hoffman got his first computer when he was 4 or 5 and mastered the security software within hours.

"He wasn't just a computer geek. He was a cool computer geek," Bennett said.

Hoffman had received a scholarship to attend Eastern Michigan University. Along with a passion for computers, he recently became interested in nutrition and healthy eating. His graduation from Farmington Central High School was just around the corner.

Some details surrounding Hoffman's death were revealed in court earlier this week during Layne's arraignment. A police officer said Hoffman called 911 and said his grandmother had shot him in the chest.

Hoffman was living with his grandparents so he could stay in Farmington schools while his divorced parents settled in Arizona, his father, Michael Hoffman of Scottsdale, Ariz., has told reporters.

Layne has a pre-exam conference scheduled for Thursday in the 48th District Court.

On Tuesday, Bennett encouraged mourners to remember the many blessings Hoffman left behind, including his relationships with family and friends.

"While it is easy today to focus, all of us, on the tragic end of Jonathan's life, this perhaps is not helpful to us as we mourn his death. To engage in conversation about what happened or what the details may be is not our job as a community of mourners," Bennett said.

"Instead, our tradition teaches us to consider how his life really mattered in this world. He really did count."

Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at 248-745-4628 or ann.zaniewski@oakpress.com. Follow her on Twitter @OPCourtReporter. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.